VIP guards to be withdrawn: Gen. Sherzad

JALALABAD (PAN): The new police chief says he has put in place measures to improve the security situation in eastern Nangarhar province, including withdrawal of security guards from very prominent persons (VIPs).

Brig. Gen. Fazl Ahmad Sherzad told Pajhwok Afghan News during an exclusive interview on Sunday he had devised a number of plans which, if implemented, could address security concerns.

Over the past few months, Sherzad said police had conducted 16 operations -- both unilaterally and jointly -- with other security forces in various parts of the province.

During these operations, more than 20 rebels were killed, 30 others wounded and dozens captured alive. “We face a shortage of personnel and this issue will be resolved soon. Policemen, who have been assigned with guard personalities, will be called back and sent to districts.”

Sherzad rejected as unfounded the provincial Independent Election Commission (IEC) office head’s concerns about security problems, saying the office had not yet consulted the police on the creation of mobile voter registration teams.

“They (IEC officials) should have shared their concerns with me. It is not difficult to create mobile teams in all districts except Hesarak and Sherzad,”

The police chief said they were ready to provide mobile teams with security in all districts and the people to fearlessly obtain voter cards.

Sherzad’s remarks come days after Nangarhar IEC chief Dr. Ajmal Akhtar told Pajhwok Afghan News he had a series of meetings with the police headquarters to share his security fears with the police.

He had said security officials did not allow them to activate mobile teams in some districts. He claimed security officials made it clear on him that they could not provide security for mobile teams in insecure districts.

Ajmal said: “Mobile teams could not be made operational in Hesarak, Sherzad, Khogyani, Batikot, Chaparhar, Pachiragam and some other towns due to security problems.”